Religious Affections in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - VI - Part 3 continued

Required readingReligious affections in Volume I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Part 3 by reading Section 2 and 3.

My summary.

Now Edwards teaches us that the first objective ground of gracious affections is love of God for his excellency, not self love: 'The first objective ground of gracious affections, is the transcendently excellent and amiable nature of divine things, as they are in themselves; and not any conceived relation they bear to self, or self-interest.'

Then Edwards proceeds to explain the difference between God's natural and moral perfections and how it is his moral perfection of holiness that is the grounds of love for God: 'A true love to God must begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this, and no otherwise than as (according to our way of conceiving God) it derives its loveliness from this.'

What grabbed me

I liked the encouragement to rejoice in God: 'And as it is with the love of the saints, so it is with their joy, and spiritual delight: the first foundation of it is not any consideration of their interest in divine things; but it primarily consists in the sweet entertainment their minds have in the contemplation of the divine and holy beauty of these things, as they are in themselves. And this is indeed the very main difference between the joy of the hypocrite, and the joy of the true saint. The former rejoices in himself; self is the first foundation of his joy: the latter rejoices in God. The hypocrite has his mind pleased and delighted, in the first place, with his own privilege, and happiness to which he supposes he has attained, or shall attain. True saints have their minds, in the first place, inexpressibly pleased and delighted with the sweet ideas of the glorious and amiable nature of the things of God. This is the spring of all their delights, and the cream of all their pleasures; it is the joy of their joy. This sweet and ravishing entertainment they have in viewing the beautiful and delightful nature of divine things, is the foundation of the joy they have afterward in the consideration of their being theirs. But the dependence of the affections of hypocrites is in a contrary order: they first rejoice and are elevated, that they are the favourites of God; and then, on that ground, he seems in a sort lovely to them.'

He is our joy and delight beyond all else!

Next week's reading

Continue Part 3 by reading Section 4.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.